The Memoirs of an Avatar
by Everlasting Thought
Summary: Years have passed since Aang rid the world of the ruthless Ozai, since he should have forgotten it, and concentrated on his life. But when something happens, Aang is forced to take a look back into the past, and discover what he might have missed.
1. Chapter 1 Reliving the Past

**Well this, quite honestly, is a bit embarrassing to come back to. Let's see, I was- what? Thirteen? Maybe, I can't remember. But I have decided, along with the sequel, to redo the other chapters so I can be spare my sixteen year old self the disappointment. Though this was intended originally as a romance, it's changed much in the last few years. **

**Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, though sorely wish I did. **

**And let us begin.**

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_I remember dreaming about her when I was in the iceberg, though at the time I didn't understand. I remember thinking that she was beautiful, feeling the connection between us even though solid ice. The day we met I was shocked when I realized that this was her- destiny. _

_Many think the Avatar shouldn't marry. They believe he- or she- is incapable of loving someone wholly, because the blood of a thousand others flows in our veins. Katara and Sokka never knew about what went on within me, even when we finally settled in our last destination six years after I met them. _

_The Fire Lord's defeat was something I can never forget. Even when I have died and my spirit is passed onto the next Avatar, to a Waterbender like Katara. It's a hard thing to accept, sometimes. Being the world's protector. _

_But things have changed since I was twelve. I found the other Airbenders, a struggling group of no more than ten that had built a fifth temple, one so far into the ground it was almost impossible for them to survive. _

_Why am I thinking these things, now of all times? I'm eighteen years old today; Katara made me this so that I could record my life's story and pass it on to the next Avatar. It's past midnight now, and I can hear everything. _

"This is ridiculous," Aang murmured softly, dousing the flame that balanced on his open palm. The faint light faded and disappeared; it cloaked him in darkness as he slipped out of the tower. Momo chirped and flew from the bed to his shoulder, purring gently while he nuzzled him. Aang stroked the soft fur but walked on over the shifting sand, his emotions churning wildly inside.

"Momo, what am I going to do?" The lemur chirped again and snatched a bug out of the air; he ignored his master. Aang didn't notice. "I just feel so different…than I have in a long, long time."

He climbed the sloping rocks and perched at the highest peak. His head rested on his knees as he gazed out onto the rippling waters of the ocean's tide. The moon illuminated most of the bay; it left only a small part shaded. No fires tore the hushed silence, no screams for help clouded the night. Today should have been a good day, yet it wasn't. Aang had puttered all morning and afternoon, even when the gifts had been heaped before him.

Sokka had hauled the presents away, probably to open a few himself in his home. The boy- now a man- was married and had recently become a father, still a rebel without a cause.

Aang stared out over the island. Countless houses and trees dotted the seaside, nestled in the heart of the isle and shielded from the view of travelers on the ocean. Sokka and Yue's home rested in the farthest corner, on the opposite end of the island. Aang shivered at the remembrance of Katara's quick hands, healing what was already dead. He shook his hand hard and cast the thought to sea.

Appa roared in the stables, immediately answered by several of the others grazing in the fields. His master jolted at the sudden sound; he laughed when he realized where it had come from. Starting towards the creature, he slowed and stopped, eyes focused on a hermit crab scuttling across the pebbles towards the ebbing waves.

A memory blinked into focus, the day of his eldest child's birth, Seion, a charming little girl now three years old. She was an Airbender like her father, the first born since the end of the Fire Nation's reign of terror. She had been brought into the world so quietly, and he had taken her in his arms, gazing with silent fascination at his child. His wife had chuckled at his expression so unreadable with undying happiness.

"I miss my kids," Aang whispered to the sky, as if by admitting it they would come back; Seion and Haine.

Their mother was with them. Aang hadn't been able to accompany them on their trip- there had been too much to do on the island. They had been gone over two months, and his heart ached as if they were dead, instead of only on a short journey to the foreign lands, where he and the others had once thought of as home.

_Foreign lands. We visited so many places when it was just the three of us, met so many people. I wish…_ Aang didn't know what he wished. He wanted to soar into the clouds and never look back, but at the same time plant his feet among the poppies and never move. The foaming white-caps lapped the cliff walls, echoing with the beating of his hollow heart.

He waited for a time, not thinking of anything except the sea and the moon, the spirits Tui and La. The sounds of the night became a rhythm that lulled him into a state unseeing, peaceful, so calm, so desperately sought…

Then it reared, the horrid memory he never wanted to relive, wished it had never happened. But it had had to. If it didn't, the world would still be in chaos, and more likely than not he would be dead.

The thought eclipsed into a scene of the Fire Lord, asleep in his enormous chambers, unhearing of the Airbender's light steps on the tiles. Aang remembered feeling it beneath his boots and wondering how many firebenders had grazed the exact ones. Ozai did not stir, even when he was nearly on top of the man, the sword of four elements clutched in his sweating hand.

The Fire Lord's eyes lashed open in an unexpected instant and he was up like a flame; it was so sudden Aang was caught off guard and thrown into a wall by a blazing rush. The battle raged for hours, it seemed; in the end, Ozai was pinned to the ground, his shrouded face splaying droplets of sweat onto the sleek flooring.

"So the young Avatar has finally come to accept his defeat," Ozai snarled. "How kind of you to deliver yourself to me. My son could not bring you. His sister was your brutal murder victim in her attempt." He spit acid into the air. "It seems fitting."

_No! _Aang shouted, fighting the memory. He didn't want to keep watching. He didn't want to see himself kill Ozai again. He was lying. Azula hadn't died by Aang's hand, but Roku's. The fiery spirit had attacked before he could do a thing, slaughtering the Fire Nation princess. Aang's sword hand had fallen lifelessly to his side, though the opposite was still aimed at Ozai's throat. The weapon in his grasp dissolved.

"You are pathetic, boy. Worse than my son, a disgrace as the heir of the Fire Nation. I have been watching you the past year, waiting for you to think you had mastered the element of fire. But you have never seen power like mine." The black eyes glistened menacingly. "I am not going to kill you now, Avatar. Not you, but your friends, the little Waterbender and the boy- they will not make it through the next ambush; I will personally see to it. All that you love in the world will be gone, and you will join my nation."

The golden flame had clattered to the ground and clipped off the wall, clanking harshly, ringing for years afterwards in his ears. Aang's breath seared his lips as he drew another and swallowed; he wiped the blood off his cheek and staggered out the doorway, down the empty stairway to where Katara, Sokka, Toph and Zuko hid in the corridor. Aang handed the headdress to Zuko, the new Fire Lord.

He hadn't been able to sleep for weeks after it; all the Airbender could see was sucking the air from the man's lungs, scorching his covered face, filling his chest with water, and raising a jagged rock from the depths of the castle through his stomach. It had been done in a matter of moments, but it would haunt him for a lifetime.

Suddenly, he heard it. The deep lowing of a flying bison bouncing off the cliff walls, racing up to where he sat, startled by the shrieking of children.

"They're back!" Aang cried. He leaped off the rocks and dove into the sea, skimming over the water like an elephant koi being hunted. He hurtled himself into the black sky again and again. He waved hysterically, laughing and struggling to keep afloat. If only he'd thought to bring his glider!

"Dad!" They shouted. Arms encircled his neck immediately; two voices chattered excitedly at once, their mouths unable to move faster than the other. Aang hugged them both, fearing his heart would melt in joy, talking just as quickly, holding them close to him. Gradually, they calmed and settled into Kua's saddle beside their mother. Their grey gazes locked on him. It seemed to their father they had made a promise to go to bed as soon as they reached the island, and he knew he had to let them go.

He lingered by their beds a time later, watching them in the firelight in his hand as the beams washed over them. The room had been depressing without their liveliness. He hadn't been in there for an entire fortnight, except to shoo Momo out. The lemur adored Haine, and couldn't understand why Aang had barred the entrance, keeping him out.

"I've missed you guys," he whispered. Aang caressed his son's tiny hand as it rose and fell on his chest. Brown tufts of hair smoothed his scalp and tickled his father's hand when Aang brushed it. He began to quietly creep from the room. Toys littered the floor, though, and the Avatar ducked to avoid hitting a wisteria plant suspended from the ceiling.

With a last look at them, he shut the door and snuck into the hallway, stretching tender muscles so ready to relax. His ears perked when he heard water running in the other room along the wall; a mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. For thirty-seven days exactly he had waited her to come home. At last, he had what he wanted.

She was kneeling by the basin, her hands dipping into the streaming liquid and cleaning her face, her arms, her feet. She seemed oblivious to his presence as he lay on the bed, studying her.

His wife finished and emptied the washbin, but still wouldn't look up. Aang knew she was playing. It was in her nature- part of the reason he loved her. The smile widened when a lick of air lurched out of his fingertips and unsettled her long hair, blowing it over her head. She laughed and gave up the game to slide beside him, hugging him and resting her shoulder on his head. Her fingers teased the fine hair on his cheek with her breath. Aang's heart fluttered as he remembered the sensation of her in his arms the first time.

For a while, they said nothing, only held each other in silence. Finally, he propped himself up on one elbow and gazed at her below. She kissed his chin. Fire bounded from his lips onto the wall above their heads and lit a candle, bathing them in warm light.

"So how was it?"

His wife shrugged and edged closer. Her hand ran along his wrist. "Too long. Seion was ready to come home by the third day. I'm sure Kua was ready to drop her off somewhere." She grinned. "I know I was."

"Besides," she murmured softly against his lips. "I missed you more than I thought I ever could miss anyone. I didn't even miss Sokka as much."

"Well I'd hope not!"

Aang hugged Katara, pulling her nearer, gathering her in his arms. The Waterbender kissed him gently and pressed the emblem on her palm to her husband's, the moon to the sun. The pale yellow orb and rays spreading out of it glistened on her skin in contrast to the ashen white of his, the stars framing it like a painting. They were the marriage symbols that marked their unity.

She fingered the necklace at her throat. "Zuko commented on your handiwork. He said he's never seen an insignia like it." Aang nodded modestly. The pendant was amazing, a blend of water and air. Katara's mother's necklace had been passed onto Seion; the little girl wore it proudly, though the significance of it she knew nothing of.

"So what happened while I was away?"

"Oh, the usual. Yue gave birth to a girl; they named her Riette, for the sun. Sokka was thrilled. He told me to tell you he can't wait for you to see the baby." Katara's eyes lit up at the prospect of being an aunt.

He scratched her shoulders absently. "Haru visited too. He's doing fine, ever since the Fire Nation troops were brought to the capital again. They've freed all the Earthbenders they could find."

They talked quietly for a while, simply enjoying the feel of the other near. Aang glanced about the small room while he held her and admired its decorations, the things that made the house a home. A tapestry cut from the Earth Kingdom's walls, a dragon-headed teapot crafted by Zuko's finest potters, two small fountains from the Southern Water Tribe, and half a dozen ornamental gliders designed by the Air Nomads. Katara followed the sweep of his gaze and smirked.

"I can't believe how much I love being in this place with you."

"I love you," he whispered into her ear. "I love you too," came the reply, and another kiss, sweet and childlike and simple on his lips that made the Avatar want to hold in this moment forever.

Aang sunk deeper into the covers and sighed, content with every bit of his being. Today was supposed to be a good day- and it was.

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**All right, all done with the revisions. I was decent at thirteen, but I like it better this time around. **

**And Auiq was changed to Riette because I can actually say that in my mind. Hopefully it won't be too confusing now, seeing as I can't really do much about it and I have school in a few hours.**


	2. Chapter 2 A Threat Uncovered

Pre note- Just a quick reminder; Sokka and Yue's baby's name was changed to Auiq, said like uh-qwa. Not Aqua, remember that. It just made things too completed between this and my book.

Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar…wish I did…any questions? And this goes for all my chapters so I don't have to keep doing this.

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When Aang awoke, she was gone, though the blankets were still warm where she had been when he brushed his arm over the cloth. A grin touched his lips while he remembered the night before.

The sounds of scuffling feet rose from beneath him; Seion shrieked her protest to her brother, immediately followed by the sound of something shattering. He could hear Katara reprimanding her and the front door swinging open. Then it was quiet.

Slowly he climbed out of the bed and felt the cold wood grains on his bare feet. His skin tingled at the sensation; he shuffled down the hallway and descended the winding stairs, edging around the corner to peer out. Katara was standing at the heart, petting a striped orange cat on the table, humming softly.

"Morning," Aang mumbled, planting a kiss on her cheek. She returned it and went back to the meal she was preparing. "Where're the kids?"

"Yue came to ask if I would come see Auiq later. She took the little ones with her."

His arms encircled her waist and he rested his head in the curve of her neck. Her nose nuzzled his affectionately. "So we have some time alone together, huh?" Katara laughed and kissed him again. "Not so fast, firebrand. Yue said Sokka would be here in a few minutes. I guess his cattle got loose and he wants your help finding them."

Aang playfully moaned into her shoulder and pulled away. Wooden balls clattered against his feet as he made his way to the window, looking out onto the bay. Sunbeams bathed the land in a calm light, and secured within him a feeling of security and amazement. This was his home, their home, and there was nothing in the world that could ruin that for him.

"Hey! Heads up!"

The Avatar whirled just as a coil of rope sliced the air, catching him off guard. Aang fumbled but caught it, and glanced up to seeSokka leaning on the doorframe, a wry expression swathing his tannedface.

"Sokka!" Katara rushed to him, hugging her brother tightly. The siblings talked excitedly to one another; she congratulated him on becoming a father while he welcomed her home, asking news of Zuko and their voyage.

Aang settled on a chairand watched themin silent affection. The two hadn't changed much in six years but with that little bit had come a lot. They had grown and matured, fallen in love and married, and yet they were still his faithful companions after all that time.

Katara peeked over Sokka's shoulder and a flash of surprise touched her eyes, as if she had forgotten he was there.

"Oh! You should really get going. Your wife isn't going to be able to control our children for long!"

Sokka's laughter boomed loud like distant thunder, fading with them while Aang and he wandered into the fen, Katara waving to them from the doorway. The Avatar felt a sudden surge of loyalty and importance when he glanced back; he leapt into the clouds and whooped to demonstrate his happiness. Aang landed clumsily but couldn't have cared less.

"You know, you're a really lucky man," Sokka remarked, plucking a handful of berries off a bush and cramming them into his mouth.

"There never was one luckier," Aang responded, accompanied by a sheepish smile and a blush that rushed up his neck and shoulders the color of a robin's brazen breast. He knocked his friend's elbow against his own. "And so are you. I mean, how many mean can say they're married to an incredible woman like Yue and have an amazing daughter like Auiq?"

Sokka didn't retort in his usual dry humor, only closed his eyes and smelled the damp air, tipping his head to experience everything of the radiant morning. Aang's heart trembled in excitement when his memory came alive, bearing the thought of how much beauty had been brought to his life ever since he had confessed to Katara that he loved her.

"You're thinking about it too, huh?" He jumped and stopped, staring at Sokka. A bemused feeling engulfed him. "Thinking about what?"

"When you and Katara first got together, and how mad I was at first. I just couldn't believe my little sister and our best friend were in love!"

A fox darted across their path and it startled them both, the two men recognized as the protectors of their small community. Sokka restarted his walk and kept going. Aang went after him.

"I know. IfI wasn't an Airbender and could use my glider, you would have killed me!" That broke them up in mirth at the remembrance of Katara trying to calm her brother while he grabbed for Aang hovering above, his face red and his expression livid. It had taken almost a year for Sokka to get used to the sight of the Avatar kissing his sister.

Their boots grazed the tall grass of the clearing. Birds flitted in the crystal blue sky above the field and the cattle nibbled at the crisp blades of olive green. The men set to work immediately, rounding up the animals with a mixture of air blasts and rope. The task was tiresome and difficult; the beasts refused to cooperate without a fight.

Only when the sun had nearly crossed the entire sky were Aang and Sokka able to rest their sore bodies, the cows clustered and lowing gently in the far end of the vast, open expanse.

"You, my friend," The Airbender panted, wiping his brow on his sleeve, "Need to get slower livestock!" Sokka nodded; he was too exhausted to form words. For a time the two relaxed, angled against one another while their anxious eyes searched the motionless woods. The cows' guttural cries became deeper; the men were so intensely tangled in their own web of thoughts they could not hear the gradual change.

Aang heaved a sigh of respite at another day completed, another duty accomplished. _This is what the Avatar's job is all about_, he mused inwardly. _Helping others and protecting them. _He threw a side-glance at his brother-in-law raking his fingers through the brown bristling hairs clipped to his chin. _And I couldn't do it without Sokka and Katara. _

A bull snorted restlessly in the meadow, snatching his attention from the festering thoughts and noisy chirping of the purpletailed swallows that had become increasingly bold in the past few minutes. They dove and swooped artlessly, without a pattern; one perched barely above the red-black eyes of the male as the hoofs scratched the earth and etched raw cuts into the soil. Its bulky head tossed; it gazed to the south and suddenly began to run in the opposite direction, away from the herd and the men. "What's wrong with that one?"

Aang flew after it, an airball propelling him beneath. The bull trotted more quickly, more hurriedly; it snorted and grunted and hastened its step until it was nearly sprinting to elude the unseen threat. The Avatar felled a tree in front of it, but the crash merely heightened its rage.

Behind him, Sokka's cries reached his ears and Aang winded around to see the entire herd stampeding his way like wasps out of a maimed hive. They missed him by a breath's length; Aang could feel and hear their panic, so tangible it was.

Air caught in his throat when he tried to stop the stampede before it reached the town; he dropped to his knees, choking and clawing at his neck. Darkness shrouded the brink of his vision and it grew, covering him with a cloak of dimness. He felt his chest tightening, constricting, his heart slowing...

"It has finally happened." Roku stood before him out of thin air, more real in death than in life. He stooped beside the Airbender and helped him rise, motioning with his gnarled hands to breathe. Aang's throat expanded, and air rammed itself inside.

"What's going on? Why are the animals acting this way?"

"Because, young Avatar, they are coming."

"Who's coming?" Aang demanded, needing to know an answer and fast. He was all too well aware that even now as he consulted with the old man his body was in danger of being destroyed by the thundering feet.

"The Soulless. They are like the Fire Nation, created for one simple task- to kill you. But they are worse. Once an Avatar is killed by the demon, his spirit is gone, and it will not go into the next bender. The Avatar will be gone forever."

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After note- I know, I just love leaving you guys off at the most suspenseful part. It's fun! I hope you liked it. I tried to catch all the mistakes, but you know, it's 11 here


	3. Chapter 3 Soulless

"For a thousand lifetimes, the Avatar spirit has been wary of an attack by these creatures, the ones that will slaughter anything in its path to get to you. They will mercilessly take the life of anyone- your friends, your wife, your children- that divides them from the Avatar. Yet there is no way to fight them. They are made of the darkness in a heart, where the evil thrives among the purity. They are not physical; you cannot defeat them."

"But what am I supposed to do?" Aang cried in frustration, his anxiety mounting with every passing moment. If Roku was correct, and the Soulless really were coming to kill him, he was only wasting time by standing in the black void.

"There is nothing you can do, nothing that I or any of the spirits know of. The Soulless are an ancient curse, set upon the earth when the Spirit World was separated from the human world. My advice to you is to flee until you either find a way to conquer these vile demons…" Roku drew a shuddering breath. "Or die trying."

The oblivion faded; Aang felt his throat tighten again and his spirit being called back to the surface, the mortal world. Something blunt was slapping his flesh there; his hands on both ends moved as one, and blew the threat skywards.

"Aang! This is no time for your Avatar spirit to be kicking in! We have to round up these cattle!"

The Airbender blinked, confused, and raised his head. Sokka limped to him from the far edge of the field, scowling fiercely. "What is wrong with you? You nearly killed me!"

"You're not the only thing that's going to be killed if we don't get out of here _now_!" Aang scrambled up and started to run, but Sokka's hand seized his wrist and pulled him jerkily. "Hold it. We're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to you."

The Avatar's eyes rose fearfully to the sky beyond the one holding him, and instantly felt his stomach constrict, a white noise ringing in his ears. On the horizon, eating at the rim of the sapphire blue was a black snake made of transparent smoke, the fangs dripping rolling mist like blood.

"There's no time! We've got to leave now!"

"No!" Sokka roared, tackling Aang as he tried to crawl from beneath.

"Fine! You want to know why I want to get out of here so badly?" The men stared each other down, neither stirring, though Aang could feel his terror building up in his ribcage. "Because there's a demon called Soulless coming to _kill _the Avatar spirit! And if we don't leave this instant, there will never be another Avatar again! Now get off me and run!"

Sokka's face erupted in wide-eyed disbelief. Aang's vision soared up to the brooding smoke; it was coming closer by the second, and it began to tug on his soul, calling him towards the darkness. He started to take a step but wrenched it back. This…_thing _was of the Spirit World, for it was able to manipulate him without touching him. Only things of paranormal creation could do that.

Thinking fast, Aang snatched Sokka's hand and dove into the air, over the harrowed ground trampled by the nervous livestock, in the shadows. With any luck, the Soulless would lose sight of them…it was unlikely though.

Sokka's feet dragged awkwardly, slowing them down until Aang nearly had to heave his entire weight forward just to move. "Sokka!"

"We have to fight. This could be dangerous!"

"It is dangerous, Sokka! It's lethal! Roku said there's no way to defeat them, and it will kill everyone to get to me. We have to get off the island!"

The man stopped altogether and snatched his hand back, rubbing the tender skin. Aang all but screamed in frustration. Why couldn't Sokka see how treacherous the situation had become? This wasn't a game! Why couldn't he see the Soulless.

_Because he's not a bender. _The Avatar spirit spoke to him internally; Aang paused, staring without seeing. "What?" _He is not a bender. He cannot see what only benders can. Your wife and children will know something has changed. Go to them; do not fight. You will not win. _

"We've got to go. Get Yue and Auiq; run to the stables and get Appa. Tell everyone to get off the island. I'll meet you there."

"No, Aang, I-"

"_Go_!" The Avatar spirit screamed, overthrowing the young Airbender and taking hold of his limbs. An air blast flung Sokka into the forest, in the direction of the village, expelling screams all the while. Aang, controlled, winced; his friend vanished.

_Now fly to the most remote portion of the island. We cannot fight this demon, but we can elude it. _

"Who's we?" Aang wanted to grumble but refrained. Roku and the others was his only ally, his only hope; he knew nothing about this threat and he needed every bit of their help, whether he liked it or not.

Squaring his shoulders, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, calming the churning waters inside. Aang could hear the gentle hiss as the Soulless neared; his heart froze but he kept himself composed, not giving into the force driving him nearer to insanity. It was easier said than done.

Aang's ribs crackled while he breathed, vision still blocked, mind still racing. There felt to be a serpent's tail forming ringlets about his waist, tapering gradually but quickly in harmony. He sucked in his stomach and counted the seconds, waiting…waiting…

_Now! _

The instruction came so brusquely that he was caught off guard and nearly pitched forward, had it not been for the semi-transparent mist detaining his torso, strengthening. Remembering the whispered commands into his ear, Aang ducked under the lithe body just as it would have crushed him; he could hear the air being smothered where he had stood seconds previous. His heartbeat battered the familiar rhythm he hadn't experienced since the Fire Lord.

_Don't look it in the eyes, don't look it in the eyes! _He repeated to himself, over and over and over, repeatedly and forever. That was where its power lay; if his gaze was snatched, even for a moment, there would never be another Avatar.

He slid through the air like a fish through water, effortlessly. Without looking, he knew the Soulless was following; the little air trick hadn't worked to distract it. The smell of wheat and milkweed crammed his nose.

Aang alighted on the moss and hunched behind the ferns, watching the great snake head probing the grass, hunting. The smoking nostrils flared; blood pounded deafeningly in his head. It was looking for him, for his spirit.

"_Daddy!_" The call wafted over the motionless timber and stroked the Soulless' ears like a eagle's feather; the neck swiveled sharply and looked not at him, but above. His stomach plunged. For it was not just any voice that caught the snake's attention…it was his daughter's.


	4. Chapter 4 Internal Fight

**Pre-Note: this is gonna be a long one!**

**Disclaimer: how many times do I have to say it! I don't own Avatar, I get that! Stop rubbing it in my face! (and have a good day)**

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Her tiny fingers clutched the thin branch, thumb protruding from her mouth. Her green boots shuffled nervously on the pine needles, as though she longed to be somewhere else. Levate, a small yellow bird hand-stitched by her mother she carried everywhere, was cradled in the crook of her arm; it nudged her side in the gentle wind that whipped her soft brown curls.

"Daddy? Daddy, where are you?"

She was so close Aang could hear her labored breath; she had recently woken up from a nap, he realized. Seion wasn't thinking normally. To her three-year-old mind, her mother was missing and the only other person to seek for comfort was her father. And he was frozen, unable to stir to rescue her.

The Soulless hissed. Its silver tongue slipped between parted lips, flicking as its eyes scanned the horizon's border. Aang could see it jolt when it spotted her in the brush, half-hidden, and the evil inspiration glide into the demon's head.

The coils unraveled and it began to crawl through the darkening air, the sky dimming with every breath as a cloud cover drifted over the land. Something was happening; Aang could feel it, and so could Seion. He sensed it in the way she stepped backward, the thumb jerking and dropping to her hip.

_Leave my daughter alone! _He shouted inwardly; the tip of his boot dug deeper into the rich soil as he restrained himself. Aang knew it would be pointless to try fighting the demon and keep his child safe at the same time. Someone would get hurt, and he could not even bear the thought of Seion in the clutches of the Soulless.

The only thing he could do was to wait for the exact moment. One thing he had figured out by the serpent's movements and techniques was that it was cautious at all moments, constantly wary of a prey's rebellion.

He had to be precise, or he would fail completely. An insect flew beside his ear; he fought the urge to bat it away, eyes transfixed on the scene unfolding before him.

"Daddy?"

His daughter swiveled on her heel, Levate slapping her thigh sharply. An insistent breeze kissed her skin and lifted her skirts; the Soulless licked its lips hungrily at the sight of her. "No…"Aang's emotions were clashing against one another, each one prevailing before slipping beneath another.

_Stay put. _

_No!_

_Stay put. _

_No!_

_Stay put!_

_NO!_

He could take it no longer. Fire streamed in currents from his open palms, lighting the fen in a blaze so terrifying Seion was blown back, her little body knocking against the lee side of an oak. Jagged rocks tore into at the demon's flesh; it did nothing, but the Soulless careened, glaring with black eyes at the Avatar.

A hurricane rose, the blend of water and air cutting into the clearing in rapid force. It gained speed, whirling and whipping faster. Seion's eyes met her father's.

The Soulless was livid at this act of rebellion. It squirmed, hissing, dodging the sporadic mountains growing from the earth; it was as if it would be injured by the pointed stones. Aang saw this and his rage mounted. With it came quicker movements, directed by his blurring hands, until a peak shot the demon in its jaw, knocking it sideways to the ground.

Seion was in his arms immediately, sobbing; her fingers grappled the red collar of his shirt like hooks refusing to let a fish swim free. Aang's right arm encircled and held her close; his fist pressed into her neck, protecting her face.

Wind slashed their skin and rain bore down on his shoulders; Aang grunted in exertion. _Right, left, right, left…_He groaned in his head, his only thought to escape the creature.

An anguished roar met their ears above the gale's clamor; Aang reeled, pressing Seion closer to him, her nose grazing the spots of sweat dabbing his throat. He could feel the puffs of air that she gave, becoming hastier as the noise touched her.

"Daddy, I'm scared!"

He didn't have time to answer. The Soulless was coming nearer, the sky becoming darker, the pull on his spirit becoming stronger. Aang had to get out of there soon; if he didn't, there would be nothing he could do.

His daughter hugged tighter, as if she was afraid if she didn't hold on for dear life he would slid through her fingertips. She repeated her message and her voice cracked in fear.

He silenced her, diving into the bushes. They landed clumsily; Aang's teeth buried themselves in his bottom lip. He tasted blood. It was saccharine and bitter at the same moment; his eyes never left the Soulless, coiled in loose spirals in the center of the clearing. The hurricane's wrath hazed its shape but he could still see it, still sense its presence.

The leaves disguised them and camouflaged their eyes glistening in the lightning. Aang's fingers twisted thunderbolts to shake the earth; he only hoped none had mounted the flying bison yet.

Hail began to pepper through the branches, cracking on their arms and backs. Aang rolled over so that he was protecting beneath him. She whimpered, Levate cushioning their bones against one another, each racked with heaving breaths.

"Dad, I want Mommy."

"I know," He murmured, nudging his skull further into the dirt, pushing away the pine needles from her hair. "But this thing…it's dangerous. So you've got to keep very quiet and do everything I tell you to, no bickering like you do with Haine when Mom says its time for bed." Aang spoke to her quietly, the way he would to a frightened animal. That's what she was after all- a creature terrified of death.

Her heart beat on his, their swift rhythm mingling as one; the Soulless stirred and their limbs locked, immobile. "Don't….move," He whispered, barely separating his lips to speak. Seion's eyes snapped shut. Above them, the tempest raged, increasing in speed and pressure now that fear had replaced his anger. The hurricane wasn't warding off the demon.

_I can smell you. _

Aang jerked. The voice echoed inside, trailing beams off a sun, pouncing on his unsuspecting mind.

_I can smell your fear, bubbling within you. I know where you are. I can taste the terror, melting into your heart. I want that heart to be mine. _

"No…" The Avatar struggled, holding Seion closer. She cried out softly and he loosened his grip; the voice had brought with it a searing burn, and he hadn't noticed how hard he'd held her to extinguish the pain.

_I can taste your spirit. I have followed it for a thousand years, waiting, watching. You are the heart that holds the purest of darkness. You are the one who holds the most darkness. _

"No!"

_Do not fight me. I am powerful and with you spirit, I will be inescapable. _

"Dad? Dad, stop it!" He jolted. No, this couldn't be happening. The Avatar spirit was being activated, tampered with inside by some other force. White swept the edges of his vision. He felt it; it twitched and began to pull. Now was the time. Now was the moment he'd been waiting for. He scrambled to his feet and gave them to the air.

For a dreading second, they were free-falling, Seion screaming, Aang concentrating. Then it caught them with invisible hands and pulled the father and daughter up, into the sky, into the cloud cover swathing the once-deep azure. His fist directed at the soil, Aang kept them aloft; the spirit faded and tucked itself inside again, untouched by outside life.

A black forest passed under them. His child clutched the yellow fabric in her sweating hands as she cried, Levate between them. He made certain not to drop the bird; without the comfort object, he knew she would never be able to sleep that night, or any afterward for quite some time. Even he had needed a beaded square, after the Fire Lord…Aang shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. He couldn't, not suspended in the air with their doom closing in on all sides.

_I will follow you wherever you go. I will not rest until your spirit is mine!_

Aang's blasts became stronger, rocketing them onto the shore. He rolled, pressing Seion to his chest, his arm laying the length of her spine and protecting it from the spiked crags and searching claws of wandering crabs. Something roared.

"Aang!"

He recognized the voice- Katara's, echoed by little Haine and Sokka's rich tones, the most incredible sounds he'd ever hope to hear in all his life. The Avatar stopped his movements and looked up; the feathery white hairs on Appa's tail tickled his cheek.

His actions were quick and undecided, but he made them, regardless of the fear building up inside. Sokka tried to climb off the flying bison to help him, tried to stop the bleeding in one arm. Aang growled so fiercely to get back on no one could have mistaken something was amiss.

Seion began to cry when she reached for her mother; Aang lifted her higher, waiting for the small weight to be pulled out of his arms. The Soulless was coming nearer- he could feel it, she could feel it…undoubtedly Haine and Katara could, because they too were becoming panicked about the few added seconds they had to remain near the island.

Just as the first tug was given, an explosion erupted on the side of the land. The Soulless, dark and menacing, gathered itself above the shoreline's treetops, hissing.

_Your spirit will be mine! _

It tackled him, wrestling him from the salty air into the sea, the water closing over his head like a jug abruptly submerged. His ears popped as they sank down, down, down into the abyss.

Aang tried to struggle. None could say he didn't attempt to escape, shooting all elements out of his limbs and mouth. But no amount of bending could wrench him free of this awful creature, this demon Soulless.

Sand clouded when they knocked bottom. Fish swarmed, curious, behind reefs golden in the light filtering past the choppy surface. Sea kelp brushed his hand; it fell limp against his captor's tail.

_Oh, how the mighty have fallen. _The beast chuckled and stared at him with black eyes. Aang's drooped heavily; his power was being drained, one breath at a time. He tried to activate his Avatar spirit but it seemed to have slipped too far away.

_You are only a pathetic child. No one needs you. No one wants you. They all pretend to be your friends, when in truth they only want your power. _

"That's not true…" Aang groaned weakly, spurting bubbles from the mouth.

_Yes, it is. I am your only true friend. I would never lie to you. You know this too. You know you are just an inferior piece in my overall plan. I will have the Avatar spirit. I will be the master of all four elements!_

It was then, as the last trails of voice slithered out of his ear, that Aang had a revelation. If the Soulless came to power, all the evil in the world would overpower the good, the innocent, the purity. If the Soulless received his spirit, people like Auiq, Haine, and Seion would never know the world as it once was, peaceful and untouched by brooding darkness.

_You have to fight! _His inner self shouted. _You have to! Fight for your wife, fight for your family, fight for your children. Fight for Haine. Fight for Seion!_

Haine…Seion…

The rush of power overthrew him, a thousand times stronger than Aang had summoned. It rose from far below and spewed through veins cold and tired, but they too became empowered. He felt more powerful than ever before- he was ready to fight.

And then it was gone. Not the power, but the Soulless. It lifted its head like a cat testing the air, sniffing. Something was calling it back. Aang prepared himself to pursue it, but just as suddenly as it had materialized over the treetops it disappeared, leaving no trace whatsoever.

For a moment, Aang floated, every nerve slowly losing the charge. A bubble tore from his throat- he realized he'd been holding his breath the entire time. Shooting for the surface, he broke the glistening water, and held his hand up to Sokka. The men grasped one another's fingers; the Avatar was pulled into Kua's saddle, his chest racked with heaving cries for air.

Katara held his head in her lap, drying his skin with a gentle hand and cloth. She helped him calm, whispering in her husband's ear the ancient words of the Water Tribe, those that would be chanted while a healing process was underwent. Finally, just as the last ray of sunlight dipped below the horizon, he was relaxed enough to drift into a fitful slumber, though no rest could be taken from it.

He dreamed of black forests and darker skies, the stars burning out and plunging one by one. He tried to catch them and send them into the clouds again, but they slipped through his palms like there was nothing there. Maybe there wasn't, maybe there was. But in his mind, life without the stars' light would not go on.

No stars. No light. No life.


	5. Chapter 5 Repercussions

**Pre-note: Sorry that took such a while, life kinda…sucked for a while. Enjoy, and please review! I love reading your comments! Makes life…not suck a little bit . **

**Disclaimer; don't own Avatar, wish I did, stop rubbing it in my face!**

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Burning white light was all around when Aang opened his eyes and looked out over the endless blue ocean before him. He blinked uncertainly once, twice; for a moment he could have sworn he was in the old days, when it was just him, Katara and Sokka, drifting in the open sky for forever and a day. Seagulls sliced the unmoving sea and otters swam in the white-caps; he took in a breath of fresh salt air, feeling the spirit of the water cramming his chest.

Then something gripped his foot and shook it like a dog after a scrap of meat. The manner was pleading, accompanied by a shrill wine crying, "Dad! Dad!" He glanced at the two-year-old, his son, and ruffled the thick brown crop of hair.

Katara and Seion were nowhere in sight, but Sokka and Yue cuddled in the sleep at the rear of Appa's saddle, holding each other tight. A wriggling Auiq was nestled in a cloth cradle near her mother's feet, and making feeble grabs for the curls of clouds rolling over them in waves. Momo was curled next to her with his head on her small leg, dozing.

Haine scrambled over to his cousin eagerly and dangled a stuffed bear by a cloth foot. The baby gurgled and brought forth a happy screech of laughter.

"Where'd Mom go?" He asked in a soft tone; an orange-strip falcon did a swerving loop around the flying bison. Aang's grey eyes followed, his thoughts wandering too fast to comprehend. Memories of the past night faded and swam angrily, searing as if old wounds reopened.

Why couldn't he get beyond the horrifying images and the awful pulsing that came whenever the demon was near? It was just as the Fire Lord had been- he forced the emerging vision from his head and pulled his son into his lap, smelling the sweet scent of a child's innocence.

"Mister Nori." The reply was simple, but it was all that Aang needed. Nori was a good friend of theirs, an Airbender who often whittled little toys for the children on the island. The Avatar shivered, despite the warm air currents streaming up off the ocean breeze. Would there ever be another evening, sitting in the bay, watching his kids play with carved boats in the sea foam? He didn't know.

"Did she say when she'd be back?" Haine jumped onto Appa's head when Aang reached out to cradle his young niece, brushing a bit of white hair off her fists waving towards the sky. Her father stirred and rubbed his face, squinting in the morning sunlight.

"Hey Sokka."

"Morning." He looked around as if searching for something, staring out across the lightening horizon. "Katara not back yet?"

Aang shook his head, overwhelmed by the feeling of pain that surged into him when he thought of her calmness last night, compared to his anguished shock. He wanted her there with them. He wanted her there in his arms instead of a fidgeting infant and a little boy trying to clamber onto his shoulders.

Sokka took his daughter and kissed her chubby cheek in fatherly affection, feeding her bits of crushed mango from a bag at his side. He crunched another of the fruits and wiped away the juice dribbling down his chin.

"So what's your plan?"

Aang's head jerked up, Haine's with it in imitation. The Avatar's eyebrows shot up at his offspring, but he ignored him. The little boy was just bored, and Aang had no idea how long they had been on Appa anyways. "Plan for what?"

He knew perfectly well what the warrior meant; however he didn't want to admit that possibly the writhing feeling in his stomach could be real.

"Aang, that thing is still out there. It's after you!" Sokka sighed despairingly, as if he was an old man awake for years and never slept a wink. "Katara and I returned to the island after you fell asleep. Fifteen people are dead, and another four are in comas. We're about three hours off shore; the bison can't keep up their strength forever. We wanted to wait until you were really rested before we decided anything but everyone's getting irritable. They're not all used to spending weeks on a flying bison like we are."

Aang could think of nothing say, except that he was sorry about those that had died at the hands of the Soulless. How could he let that happen? He was the _Avatar_. He was supposed to be there when bad things occurred, to protect everyone and make sure things like that _didn't _happen.

Silent tears welled and began to spill, but he wiped them away with his sleeve and gazed into the violent blue below, where clusters of people perched on flying bison at various tiers in the sky. Somewhere down there, past them, in the black rippling deep, was the monster, waiting for him, hungering for his spirit.

"Aang?"

His thoughts jolted. His mind was wandering more and more lately, ever since the first feeling had slithered into his heart and made him alert, vigilant of something he couldn't see. The fact that he didn't know what it was made it all the more terrifying, and he refused to let himself admit he was scared. The Avatar shouldn't get scared.

Hastily as he could, he made a decision. "How far are we from Zuko?"

"Another half a day maybe. Why?"

"We're gonna need a place to put these people." A smile touched the Airbender's lips. "Why not stay with royalty?"

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It was dark when the refugees reached the Fire Lord's palace. Aang slid down Appa's tail, holding Haine to him. The child was exhausted, having sat all day and a good portion of the night, and refused to touch the ground when the flying bison finally came to rest on the shores of the Fire Nation.

Stars painted the sky in blooming strokes and washed the land in an eerie but gentle glow, speckling his son while he slept. Sokka walked beside him and brushed a lock away from his nephew's face.

"I really hope Zuko aren't traveling."

Sokka's bright blue eyes bore holes in the darkness. "Katara was just here. Why would he leave so suddenly after that?"

Stones crackled beneath their step as they crossed the vast courtyard, Fire Nation banners flapping in the insistent breeze. Firelight flickered through the open windows and the aroma of food wafted into their noses. Hunger dug into Aang's stomach like the piercing claws of a wildcat.

"No, he's here."

"How can you tell?"

Aang grinned and readjusted the sleeping Haine to his hip. "Because Zuko is the only one I knew that could eat cooked apples." The warrior sniffed the tepid air and a hint of mirth hit him as well. "No doubt about that. The stuff stinks like lemur poop."

The grains of wood prickled his skin when he knocked on the door and listened to the echoing booms inside. Something scurried into the corridor, tugging the door open a little at a time until the person could see out. The men's eye fell to the source; both were silent, until Haine's deep sleep released its hold on him and he shrieked.

"Rikui!"

Zuko's son ran to his playmate, his arms out to hug him; Haine struggled against Aang to be let down. The Avatar set him on the sandstone flooring, and watched in quiet fondness while the boys talked excitedly. They poked each other, as though they couldn't believe the other was actually standing before him.

"Rikui? What is it?"

Aang's smile faded when the soft voice reached his ears, smooth as an undying, unchanging river.

She was dressed in standard royal regalia, layers of scarlet draping her slim form. Red jewels adorned her throat and ears, the fire symbol embroidered on the lace of her neckline. A silver crown capped her head, the gem of the Nation in the center. Her jet black hair was pulled up in spiraling ringlets that framed her pale face, dark against the worrisome expression flawing the silent beauty.

"Rikui, who's out there?"

Aang cleared his throat and stepped into the beams spreading from the inside. Kiye gasped and wrapped the crimson shawl closer around her shoulders. "The Avatar?"

Rikui tore his attention from Haine and bolted to his mother's side, embracing her leg and tilting his head back, smiling hard. "Mother! Mother! Haine came back! He came back!"

Kiye patted her son's head and nodded, edging him towards the inside. "I can see that, dear. Why don't you take him up to your room and show him your toys? I need to talk to his…father in private."

Aang heard the disgracing pitch in her tone and acted on it, prodding the thrilled two-year-old into the dim interior. The heavy door swung shut, and Kiye leaned against it, sighing as she cast her eyes to the dingy cobblestones.

"I had hoped never to see you again, Avatar. When my husband and I took the throne, you promised you would not return."

Sokka had vanished down the curving path again to aid the others; Aang was alone. Confidently, he squared his shoulders, and stared level with the Fire Nation Lady, trying to keep his bubbling emotions inside. Her words were true, but they needed shelter, and something told him that if anyone could assist him to victory, it would be Zuko.

"I'm aware of our deal, Kiye, and again I apologize for the death of your father, sincerely. But this is not something that needs discussing right now. I have to talk to Zuko immediately. It's urgent."

The woman slammed her fist on the door, starling him. Fire wove a pattern on her fingertips, threatening like bared fangs.

"Avatar, you are not grasping the meaning of my words. I do not want you in my home. I do not what your family interacting in any way with mine. I want you gone by morning. I will speak with my son to make sure he does not tell his father of your visit. Your child will be escorted to wherever you landed in a few moments."

Her voice was icy and bitter, like she had never experienced an ounce of joy in her life. But it was not as unsettling as her eyes. Instead of the brown eye color found often among firebenders, hers were black, dark as winter's heart. Something about them was so familiar; it was on the tip of his tongue, and just could not be reached.

He bowed to her, still polite even though he had just been banished from his one ally, and began to walk the bending trail to the beach. Then, he stopped abruptly and balled his fists, and said to the air, "I had hoped you forgive me for deeds past done, but I guess even the Avatar has some faults that cannot be excused. Goodbye, Kiye."

He hated the formal manner, but the satisfaction of the guilt laid thickly on the woman was great. It showed a bit of the Aang shining through his duty, the fun-loving creature without a care in the world. Besides, this was not the last she would be seeing of him. Already, as he rounded a corner and dove into the trimmed hedges lining the lane, an idea was forming in his head, originating from one simple fact;

This was not the first time he'd visited Zuko.

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**So…what'd ya think? I know I use cliffhangers a lot, but I love them. And although vee is gonna kill me, this is where it's going to be left. Hopefully I live to make the next chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6 Unlocked Secrets

**I am so sorry, you guys! Between my book and my side project and high school, I had literally no time to work on this. But here it is, and expect many more!**

**Disclaimer; Avatar own not do I. Story of End. **

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Bitter night air filled him as he scaled the flat wall, his feet beating out the familiar rhythm while he concentrated on the next tier. He steeled himself for the racing leap when there was nothing beneath him, nothing above. Only the clouds, the stars and the moon, and the stomach-turning stench of Zuko's favorite snack. Yes, the Fire Lord was close; Aang couldn't see him, but he could certainly smell him.

He seized the edge of a balcony and did a handstand, flipping onto the veranda. Wisteria twined around a stone pillar rising into the gloom; his hands caught the scraping texture and he shimmed up it, hoisting in his lithe body over the railing and onto the next landing. His eyes hunted the shadows for figures unseen; his hands poised for an attack.

A whippoorwill let loose a cry near to his ear; his heart froze taut in his chest, cold as icebergs of the North Pole. It began to beat again when he separated the bird call from what he thought to have been a spirit's shriek.

Aang tread softly to a brightly lit bedroom and slipped through the red satin curtains. No one rested in the lavish quarters or lifted their head in surprise at the sudden visitor. A brief wind broke into the abandoned room and unsettled a candle's flame; Aang watched the flickering waves roll over the polished stone floor.

He crept to the hallway and peered in both directions; not a soul moved. Not even an insect disrupted the eternal silence, but he still smelled the disgusting stink, fanning from somewhere. All he had to do was find that place…before the Fire Lady found him first. Blood pounded in his ears as he sensed the well-known feeling of danger slip inside him. It was exactly as he remembered; the tense, insecure, breath taking sensation of wondering what was around the next corner, the next bend.

"Zuko?" Aang called quietly, and perked his ears for an answer. There was only silence, and his puzzlement was mounting. Where was Zuko? They should have found each other by now or at the very least Aang should have seen some form of human life. There appeared to be no one in the Fire Lord's palace…no one at all.

Something clattered ahead of him; he jerked awake, ripping himself out of the dreamlike trance of pure wandering peace. Heavy footsteps echoed in the narrow passageway; Aang's stomach plunged. He had to get out of there- fast.

He turned to run down the opposite direction, but halted when a second set of footfalls became heard, brisk and hurried. His innards were reduced to a pile of twisting snakes, a horrible commotion in the pit of his being. He couldn't go right and he couldn't go left. Panic started to sink in as they came nearer, closer and closer like rumbling earthquakes on either side.

However, the Avatar was not one to give up easily. A smirk curled his lips when he realized a third way he could go…

"Good evening, my Lord," The solider saluted his superior; Zuko nodded in affirmation and continued to walk left, his steps unhurried and resounding. Aang drew a sharp breath when the master Firebender paused above him on the level slat and swiveled on his heel.

"Do you…do you smell something?"

The second man sniffed and uttered the sound a confused expression might make. "I _do _faintly detect the odor of an animal…why, Sir?"

Zuko started to speak and stopped, thinking. Aang pressed up lightly on the rock above him, raising the man a little higher, but not enough for a noticeable difference. "Never mind." His voice was disappointed in a sense; Aang heard it, even below. "Carry on." The air swished when the solider saluted again. They parted; Zuko went left, the warrior right.

Aang waited until he could no longer hear the steps of the other man before he lifted the stone to the floor and crawled out from under it. He dusted off his hands and rubbed a tender bone his shoulder where he had leaned hard into it. His plan was successful; Kiye had yet to discover, and thanks to quick thinking, the soldier could not alert her of any disturbances. Aang wondered if a previous Avatar had given him the thought, having used the idea in an earlier lifetime.

Careful to earthbend the tile in place again, he slunk stealthily into the corridor's darkness and headed left, a good distance behind his childhood friend. Zuko could not have gone too far, as he dawdled for only a trice. Unfortunately, when Aang looked up, the hall was as deserted as before.

He formed an airball and leapt upon it, balancing on the shimmering surface. The ball made searching faster; the Avatar skimmed their countless passages, the gray walls identical to the last. A thin torch illuminated the start and end of all; the beams revealed nothing. Finally, he grew tired of the endless turns.

"Hello?" He called; the ball dissolved at his command and he slowed to a stop. "Where are you?"

A rat skittered ahead. "Back to the airball," Aang licked his lips and bent his knees, just as it hit him from the back. It slammed his skull, knocking him sideways. Fire tore off his fingertips into the threat, but it dodged, rolling to avoid the forceful blast. An elbow jabbed the Avatar's neck, driving his face into the hard floor.

The sound of flames igniting roared above his ear; Aang felt his skin begin to perspire at the heat of blaze, dripping the hot liquid as if he were a lit candle. He tried to struggle, but the strength bearing down on him was too great. It held his hands clasped and his mouth pressed to the ground, like it knew he was an Airbender. He was still thrashing when a sudden thought occurred to him. Could the person, holding his wrists and threatening to scorch him, possibly be…?

"Zuko?"

The fire went out. The heavy weight on his back disappeared, as did the crushing pain in his jaw against the floor. Aang got up, and stared into the fiery black eyes of the Fire Lord.

"And to think you're a father too."

Zuko threw back his head and laughed, clapping the Avatar on the shoulder as he retrieved his book from another empty hallway. "Have to protect my son, don't I?"

"Yes, but at least I don't hurl myself at any passing person."

Another appreciative laugh, the sort Aang loved to hear. Things had been much different for the Firebender, after the death of his father and sister. He found joy in more, was angry about less. His patience was extraordinary, though it was something Aang had not been able to witness in many years.

Zuko shrugged and began to walk; Aang followed him. "Not my fault. Kiye raised a state of alarm when she said she found someone wandering around. She wouldn't tell me a single thing, but sent everyone in the palace to search the grounds and beach. I thought it another assassin from the Earth Kingdom. They still haven't forgiven us."

Memories of Katara and the others came rushing back, hitting him in a strong blow as hard as a hurricane's might. Aang slapped his forehead and ran to the nearest window. "What's wrong?" Zuko asked; sincere concern coated his voice.

Moonlight cut the black water, partially illuminating the dark forms of the villagers. Some had bedded down on the flying bison, others were wandering the shore, but they were there. Kiye had not found them yet.

"Zuko, I'm asking you this as a father and a friend. Something's happened, on our island. I need your help."

"Anything, name it. You saved our nation, and I owe you my life on several dozen occasions." Firelight flickered in Aang's eyes as he attempted to find the right words. Zuko, like Sokka, was not a spiritual person. Would he believe his fantastic story? Aang was not even sure if he believed it himself.

He took a breath, chose his first sentence, and let fly the hurried explanation of the recent events. Upon finishing, Zuko touched his forehead and murmured, "For heaven's sake, Aang, how can I…" He rubbed his temples; the Avatar's heart fell to the depths of despair. He started towards the window, preparing to leap to the beach and tell the news to those in his care. Zuko grabbed his arm.

"How can I refuse? Go get the rest and meet me at the front door."

Aang swelled with elation, but it was a dampened a second later by a rude awakening to the truth. "What about Kiye?"

Zuko paused in his rapid descent down a stairway Aang had not seen before. "Don't worry. She may be Fire Lady, but I am Fire Lord."

Aang grinned and slid out the open space into the night.

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His fist rapped hard on the entrance; he hefted Haine up where the boy had begun to slip onto his hip while he waited for his knock to be answered. His wife next to him held their daughter, her sapphire blue eyes blinking tiredly from lack of sleep. He could hear Sokka calling out to the stragglers, the orders weaving through the deep booms behind the door's ominous presence.

Haine whimpered, soft, in his father's ear. The young child was sullen now, no longer holding the bubbling excitement as when he and Rikui were together. According to the boy, Kiye ahd shoved him out of the palace like 'a sack of lumpy potatoes'.

He had been hugging Momo when Aang landed on the beach, and since then refused to let loose the Airbender's neck. Aang hoped once reunited with Zuko's son he would relax enough to release the ever-tightening hold. He was having enough trouble thinking without Haine taking away his air flow.

A flap lifted in the center of the door, squeaking loudly at the servant's touch. The black eye widened as it took in everyone, the dozens of refugees expecting a warm meal and vacant bed. Door and frame were separated scarcely a finger's width while the servant looked out.

"Y-yes?"

Aang straightened his shoulders and back to give the illusion he was the all-powerful Avatar most thought him to be. "I need to speak with Fire Lord Zuko immediately. Tell him the Avatar wishes to speak with him." Behind him Sokka snorted at the absurd tone. The servant did not notice.

"I'm sorry, sir. No one is to see the Fire Lord, by order of his wife."

Aang winced as he shot a string of air at the splintering wood; he had not expected to use force, but a hundred things could have kept Zuko. If he was not there to admit them, where would they go? He was extraordinarily lucky when he first arrived, able to get in undetected. Aang was sure he could not duplicate the feat.

The servant, although caught off guard by the thrust of power, was stronger than Aang expected. "I'm sorry, sir, but you must-"

Suddenly the man was pulled aside, and light poured over them. Zuko stood in the entryway, smiling like he'd been victorious in battle. "A thousand apologies," He replied gallantly, bowing at the waist; his robes brushed the muted orange tiles. "I was not aware I was expecting guests. Do come in."

He winked at them, but threw a finger at the kitchen. "Go tell the cooks to prepare. Supper will be served again in a half hour." The servant began to protest, yet was silenced when Zuko's hand became alight, a brilliant red glow of pure deception for its bearer to wield. "Make it fit for the Fire Lord." The man nodded and scurried off to alert the cooks of their new task.

When he had gone, Aang turned to Zuko. "You know you didn't have to do that."

Sokka appeared at the Avatar's side, Auiq in the curve of his arm. "Sure he did. The jerk wasn't going anywhere but nowhere fast." The two men strode off together, Sokka agape at the sheer size of Zuko's home. Zuko himself was raving over Auiq, the tiny baby soaking in the attention just as she did her rest. Aang watched them go.

One by one, each of his responsibilities filtered in to stand in the gigantic foyer, out of the cold and into the warmth. Somewhere in the course of the line's slow ambling, Haine slipped from his arms to join his friends, maybe Rikui returned from his mother's clutches. Aang looked for him, but saw no trace of the children or his wife. Despite the warmness he felt for making sure his family was safe, there was still a dark impression of uneasiness, branded on his chest as if it were a tight knot.

He glanced about the large entrance hall, tall enough to easily fit two of his houses in. On the walls hung tapestries of bloody battles and magnificent landscapes, some that captivated his attention and others he wondered why they were up at all. Fire Nation pottery and relics of their past ancestors plastered the lower floors, tables, and shelves.

"Zuko did well for himself, I'll give him that." Aang began to readjust a tilted glass egg when he felt someone's eyes on him, lingering too long for good intentions.

He felt the hairs prickle on his neck. Instantly alert, he feigned interest in a wooden catapult, unfurling his fists as he stared at the floor with growing tenseness. He listened to the worry-free chatter in the dining room, hearing Sokka's booming laughter accompanied by Zuko's. It was too loud for him to hear anything else, only feel the glare tracing his back, the glider strapped to it. "Don't…" He instructed himself. "Don't…"

All at once a presence was upon him, so close he felt breath scratch the invisible hairs on his cheek. Aang whipped around, hands poised to fight…and instead stared into the haziest eyes he had ever seen. Black as a moonless night, and fringed by flawless hate.

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**Oh, how I love cliffhangers! Sorry again for the wait, hope you enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 7 A Final Decision

**people, i am _so _sorry. things have been so hectic in my world there was no time. but i can guarantee you this is the second the last wait you'll have to endure. my goal is to have one last chapter and finish it by the end of april. please, please, please give me some constructive criticism! thanks!**

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Fire burned on the creamy white palm, the universal symbol of a warning; Aang felt the heat of its blaze on his skin.

"I was under the impression, Avatar, you would keep your word."

He shifted his weight and formed an identical red ball, gritting his teeth. "I'm not proud of my method, but you left me no choice. My island was attacked by a horrifying monster that wants to kill me. I needed your strongest ally- your husband."

Kiye did not say anything yet the fire did not die. He watched the beads of perspiration roll down her arm. "A demon called the Soulless is searching for me, to take my spirit-"

"Why should I care?" The Fire Lady snapped. "It is none of my problem." She stepped forward, until her nose was nearly touching his. Her hot breath sprayed his cheek. "My husband may have accepted you but I have not forgiven your horrendous deed."

Her skirts whorled as she turned on her heel and faded into the shadows. Aang watched her go.

For countless years, he had battled memories of the struggle. His dreams were plagued and hexed by visions of the blood dousing everything. He was scarcely past the suffering when the second fight, the fight for the freedom of the world, took place and banished his former self forever.

A tear drop landed on Aang's collar while he struggled to contain his sorrow. Something about being in this place, in Zuko's home, made his emotions stronger. It didn't surprise him; everything about Zuko was strong. The aura in the palace was beyond compare, and the unbreakable silence was caving in. It was killing him softly, slowly.

_This is the real world, _he thought. _This feeling of despair and failure. This is what life was always been like, but until now it's always been disguised. I saw glimpses of it in Ozai and Azula, and the others that tried to rid the world of its purity. Now there's no holding the impression back. _

Aang could not stop the feelings gurgling up inside. He almost didn't want to, because it was the truth. He was so absorbed in the feelings engulfing him he did not even notice the footsteps until the man was right beside him.

"You're missing supper, you know. The cooks made my favorite- cooked apples dipped in pepper sauce and boiled honeysuckle leaves."

Aang pantomimed vomiting and Zuko laughed, slinging an arm around his neck. Aang couldn't help letting the amusement spill from his mouth; the snacking had gotten worse….much worse. "_Delicious _as that sounds, I'll pass. Have a bed for me and my kids?"

A hand was swept across the hundreds of doors lining the many tiers. "I think we can manage one or two." A grin cracked the pale cheeks.

"Good, because I feel like I could sleep for a year."

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Sleep drifted over him like a heaven-sent blanket, sending its touch to his eyelids fluttering in the dark. Grey met black as they slipped open to the warm air of Zuko's guest room. Katara slept undisturbed next to him, Seion between them, not yet awakened to the deafening silence. The sleeper's breaths wisped in harmony and filled the bedroom with the scent of supper aftertaste.

Aang sat up, upsetting the bed the least he could. Seion murmured and rolled, but clung to Katara's side. Her head lolled on the limp shoulder, a starburst of rapture on her lips. He brushed a lock of hair off her nose and kissed it gently; she ran her small tongue along her teeth and curled her fingers around Levate.

His beautiful child, asleep in the shadow his beautiful wife. His son was elsewhere in the palace, having been attacked to Rikui's arm when Aang trudged up the twisting stairs. He had no worries for his little boy- it was the Avatar Kiye did not want in her home, not his son.

Aang's blood ran in Haine's veins but neither Katara nor their children were victims of the ruthless hate. It burned like a thirsty sun, craving more for eternity. Kiye didn't want his family dead. Just Aang.

Something bristled on the floor when his feet dropped over the edge, rustling under bed like a viper's hiss. He pulled them up again; fire weaved on his palm and washed over the carpet. A cobalt blue ibis stared back and parted its beak to chirp. Aang made the fire crackle and it flitted out, skittering down the hallway on thin claws. His eyes followed it beyond to the black mists of the morning.

Sleep, for the night, had fled him. Silently he slid on the mats beneath him and walked to the door, looking out onto the sunbeams spilling in the corridor. The rays were few, and not a sound could be heard. It was the perfect time to be up and about.

His feet pattered on the stone as he ventured further, his hands rammed deep in his pockets. Breeze splintered the warmth from his blankets and covered his bare chest, making him shiver. He leaned out an open window and gazed upon the salty shore.

Foam crusted on the pebble-paved beach and gnawed like a ravenous monster at the feet of the flying bison. They moaned lazily, coming out of sleep, awaiting morning's light and welcome.

Aang groaned when he remembered they would need to be fed soon. Like most animals, their hunger prevailed over all, but Zuko's homeland was not abundant in grass like the isle. Everywhere one looked there was dirt or stone, dotted by statues of cloudless gray and valiant red. The Avatar sighed.

He made no noise at all when he crept back to the silent room, untouched by his fretting. Regret weighed heavy on his heart, yet Aang knew what he had to do. It was his decision, and he'd made it out of love. It was the best for everyone, including him.

Aang knelt and retrieved his glider from under the bed. It clicked loudly when it knocked the dark frame; the Avatar cringed as its echo lit the walls in golden ripples. Seion turned to look at him, her eyes veiled in drowsiness.

"Daddy? Where are you going?"

He tousled her hair and kissed her forehead. "I'm just going for a walk on the shore. I'll be back before you know it. Go back to sleep."

She smiled dreamily and yawned in his face. It smelled like honey-sweet daydreams and afternoons in the meadow; he never wanted that aroma to fade. Not wanting to scare her with his need to hold her close, Aang smiled and tucked Levate under her drooping arm. "I love you." He drew a shuddering breath and added, "And tell your mother I love her very, very much."

Seion nodded and dropped the already-falling eyes. Aang's grin fell with it. "Very, very much," he repeated so low in his voice his ears could barely hear. The sounds had even yet to die away when he was out the door, no second glance to Katara. If he looked at her, he would never leave.

And he had to.

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"Okay, boy. Yip, yip," Aang's seat jolted beneath him and shot forward, racing for the sky fringed with pink and gold streaks. Yellow was already working its way into the colorful array, brightening the earth like a cloth suddenly removed. Appa roared and stretched his beaver-like tail.

_He's missing Momo and Kua and the other, _The Avatar mused inwardly and patted the great arrow adorning his pet's brow. He growled in his throat.

Even his thoughts were betraying him now. It was not Appa missing them, who was completely unaware they were gone. It was Aang's heart, not Appa's, that felt as if it were tearing in two. Tears speckled the rushing breeze.

Another wave of angst hit him, cold and fluid as the water's flow under them. It pushed him hard on the pounding temples; searing pain stabbed his mind as the guilt mounted.

"I'm not deserting them," He declared aloud, trying to convince himself or Appa or anyone else near enough to listen. "I'm protecting them. They needed me to go. It's me it wants. They would only get hurt."

He couldn't even believe himself.

"I'm not." Aang insisted, his pitch falling. It was all a lie. On his island, they had been detached from life. No one bothered them there, and no major catastrophes occurred before the Soulless. Any recollection he had of the outside world was dimmed to something he could ignore. The same seemed true in Zuko's home, and maybe that was why he brought everyone there, to be safe.

That too was not true, he admitted to himself. Aang had known all along he was going to leave. It was too dangerous then, fighting alongside Katara and Sokka. And it was still too dangerous. He brought them to Zuko's because he knew they would be safe with him there.

"_You must put an end to your uncertainty, young Avatar. You are lost with it. The lost cannot lead."_

Aang's inner eye overthrew him as he watched the ocean portal, the current surging on the flawless shine.

"Please don't speak, Roku. I need my thoughts to be my own." His plead was a whisper.

"_You cannot keep your emotions bottled up. You cannot keep them in. I realize you feel guilty for abandoning your wife and children, yet you are not responsible. You are putting your duty first, thus protecting them in the process."_

"Please, Roku. It hurts enough without the opinion of another. She's my wife! I swore an oath when we were married I would never leave her…never…" His palm began to sweat, pulling a hood over the marriage symbol. It gleamed in the reflection of the rising sun; sadness filled him further.

_It signifies love, you idiot! It meant you were supposed to be by her side at all times! Now you could die and the only one to let her know where you've gone is your three-year-old daughter! You deserted them! You're awful. _

His mindless rage at himself and Roku's chidings mingled in his head. Aang begged both to stop, though neither did. He pressed his hands to his ears, as if his skull might explode as he felt it would.

"Stop…"

All at once, the pressure dissolved. His eyes split open like blooming flowers, scanning the black water without actually seeing. Eddies swirled and bludgeoned the jutting rocks ripping the ocean far below.

Something moved on the water's surface. Aang's head jerked up and hunted for the stir; he bent over the bison's saddle to get a better view. A shadow rested on the watery net, unmoving despite the whitecaps harrowing the endless blue. It curled on the sea and slithered easily, forging a path between the waves. It was moving towards the Fire Lord palace at a pace like striking lightning.

"_Go, young Avatar. Your spirit will give you not rest until you see what you did was right. Go."_

Aang did not waste any time in arguing. It was not the Soulless disturbing his peace, although if asked he could not answer what. He was so confused by the maze of emotions reeling inside he could hardly stand.

And stand he did not. Into the sky Aang dove, firing himself in a mountainous fall to the water below. It rose to meet him and swelled steadily, reaching for him. At the last possible second, his glider swung out and strapped him to its thin bindings; a torrent of air discharged to throw him at the demon.

Roku had seen what it was before he did, and his survival mode was set. An explosion coated his legs as he tore at the Soulless.

The beast turned just as his hand spun and released the fatal blow of spiked earth from the depths of the ocean floor. It shot up through the demon's coil; it snarled and spit venomous drops, narrowly missing his eyes as he circled overhead. Aang rolled in the air and lashed out at the monster.

Anger was fueling him, more than ever before, in such a rage that he could not see the Soulless clearly. It shattered his mind as he waited for the counter attack. It wanted his spirit and his blood- it would have nothing but the bitter taste of death.

He circled once more and let go of his glider. Aang fell, in a straight line at the demon, ready to die to protect his family. He would do anything to make sure they lived and prospered, even if it meant he would not be there beside them. Because, if he did not destroy the final threat, he was already dead. And so were they.

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**ha! just one more! hope you enjoyed it! oh yeah, and _review! _…please**


	8. Chapter 8 Readers, please ignore this

It has come to my attention recently (because I just remembered I had fanfics out) that I left my story a little…open-ended. And so, just as a heads up to the people that I'm very glad have decided to read my writing, I'm planning on redoing my final chapter. It may take a week or two, but since it's summer I can safely say I will be done by then.

Keep checking back, and hopefully I won't let you down.

Thanks.


	9. Chapter 9 The Lost Cannot Lead

**I am so, so sorry this took so long. I was incredibly busy over the last couple of months and between my book, school, after-school activities, learning how to drive, and keeping a social life, I had no time whatsoever to even write for schoolwork. Thanks for being so patient!**

**Disclaimer; Own not I Avatar, yet wish I do. **

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Aang groaned. Hard stone brushed the back of his head and dug into his skull, tiny jagged spikes piercing his skin. Blood rolled down his neck and onto his shoulders. It pooled on his clothing, the fabric drenched in water and sweat. His ears were pounding like beating drums, and hurt as if someone were stabbing him. The memories washed over him as the pain mounted.

He'd never had a chance. At that exact instant, the final second between life and death, the Soulless twisted and squirmed out of reach, and he had plunged into the icy sea. He'd tried to bend himself out, push him into the sky where his airbending prevailed over all. Then he felt the demon encircling him as he sank farther, dragging him down, down, down. Pressure tore at him until what he thought to be his dying breath slipped from his mouth. Darkness veiled his sight, and he saw no more.

Faint light flickered somewhere to his right and a door swung shut. Or open. He couldn't tell- he was so confused. All he knew was that he was in a small, time-crusted room, his hands bound behind his back like a prisoner. A rat scurried over his feet and disappeared into a wall.

"Hello?" Aang murmured softly, his ears perking when he heard the echo. It didn't sound like him. The voice was cold and worthless, someone who had nothing to live for. _I'm not, _he muttered inside, _I have Katara. And Seion. And Haine. _

A flash of fire jerked him out of the crawlspace of his mind; he looked up, his spine crackling, stiff like wood. He blinked in the bright beams speckling the floor, the rocks of the room fuzzy and out of focus.

"Hello?" he called again, trying to sit up. The chains on his wrists sank into his flesh and cut him. His breath seared when he drew in sharply and swallowed, running his tongue over the cracks and crevices of his lips.

A figure sidled to the left in the shadows. A bit of his confusion was stripped away, allowing him to register in his thoughts that someone else was near. He felt drugged somehow, a toxin in his bloodstream that was not meant to be there.

"You were not supposed to survive," someone snarled, and fingers curled around the hilt of a knife. It sliced the air when it was unsheathed; Aang's eyes grew wide, but he concealed his shock. The person crossed their thin arms and the stare glinted devilishly.

"You were supposed to die. It was meant to kill you."

"What?" Forgetting his chains, he tried to scratch his brow and felt the shackles strike once more. He cried out without meaning to, and the figure smirked like the demon it was.

"No matter. It can finish what it began now."

It hissed in the darkness and uncoiled from its roll. The hairs on his neck prickled like tiny trees being raised, as if bent by some unseen force. He strained against his binds and pushed against the wall. Fear was enveloping him, for no reason which he could find. It was blinding and too great; he couldn't airbend to drive it away. He couldn't bend anything- he was trapped.

"Ssssstupid Avatar. You thought you could overcome your dessstiny."

The voice was clear yet muddled. His head swam in a sea of grime and clogged his ears, jerking him in and out of consciousness. He could scarcely see when the Soulless slithered into the light.

"Sssay goodbye, Avatar."

Aang felt his eyes shut, felt the churning bright stripes of red light boil off his skin in a mad dash for the shadows. Air whistled on the Soulless's fangs as it slid faster and snaked over the freezing stone floor, nearing him with every weave of its muscles.

_This is the end, Roku, _he thought, biting his lip and turning away his face. _I'm sorry. _

He felt the shackles on his wrists give way and fall to the ground, clanging with unusual strength. He heard someone cackling and felt himself be dragged to his feet. A hand slapped him into place, his back arched and his head lolling innocently, as if he were a newborn child not yet to understand the meaning of standing on his own. A whip screamed.

"It would not be a fair fight if I finished you there. Stand and fight like the man you never were."

"Was a man." Aang muttered quietly, bracing himself on the stone's surface. His rear pressed on the chains and impulsively he grabbed one, throwing it as if he were aiming. The metal cord drew out for a moment and then fell. It was as dangerous to her as a fly in one's soup.

The woman rocked with laughter. "You are so pathetic. And to think my father feared the great Avatar." Her black eyes gleamed, a fiery passion burning in the pits of her soul. "At least until you killed him."

"Didn't kill him….Spirit did." He was trying to reason with her, and she would not listen. Or maybe he wouldn't listen. He didn't know. He was swaying on his feet, tipping forwards and leaning back. Perhaps it was his inner eye playing cruel tricks, but it seemed that the woman was crying. Tears painted her an illusion of being fragile and pure, lost in her evil. They were not tears of sadness.

They were tears of joy. For she was finally going to kill him. And he knew exactly why. Because even in the greatest state of terror and uncertainty, one can always know what they've done. Especially because he had done the worst of all.

The whip snapped again, cracking on his torn shirt. It ripped open the fabric and struck his shoulder. He didn't try to muffle the shriek of agony. Aang sensed himself falling and could not stop it. The force snatched him and held him off the ground, crushing him from the inside out.

She slammed him up against the ceiling, showers of dirt spraying both him and her. Blood blended in the concoction smeared across his cheeks. One of his ribs was broken and his arm was going numb. He was losing fast.

"You killed my father. All he wanted was power, _just like you. _But you could not even give him that."

Another thrashing threw him to the dungeon's corner, a stark awareness of his beating heart giving out in his chest. The woman's gaze narrowed.

"You could not let him be! He was a good man, my father! Good!"

The whip's knot was slashing his legs to ribbons, his energy dying as he winced. It was all he could do not to sink into the floor and become nothing. He _was _nothing. Always nothing, never anything.

"Zhao should not have died! You killed Zhao the Moon Slayer!"

An earthquake erupted in his body as the room seemed to come apart, shaking its innards on top of him. The Soulless was active now, wrapping its pulsing tail around him, lifting him up.

"You killed him!"

It raised him higher, higher, and cast him down, shoving its full weight on top of him. He felt his bones begin to shatter. One by one by one…

"And now, Avatar," she laughed heartlessly and flicked a streaming black lock from her eyes, "I am going to kill you."

He heard the air whistle as the Soulless prepared to slay him. He was no more. No more afternoons strolling the beach with his children. No more long rides in the clouds with his pets. No more love to receive from his wife. No more love to give.

Aang.

Was.

Gone.

And yet breath still coursed through him. It entered his mouth, caked in his own blood, and rushed into his throat, cramming his lungs with life. It filled his veins, his heart, his mind, letting him live and breathe and prosper. There was no weight on him anymore, only the night sky above him and the searing knowledge that it was about to be over.

Kiye was going to kill him.

The Avatar would be gone forever.

And he did not want to die.

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_You have done well, young Avatar._

Aang blinked in the Avatar state, the white room with simply them to occupy its vast space. Roku stood before him, clad in his Fire Nation regalia, his hands folded in his billowing red sleeves. Mist fringed his stately form, rising from the ashes of the morning.

"What?"

He was dead…wasn't he? Roku had said if he was killed by the Soulless the spirit would no longer exist. So how did it survive?

_You're not dead. _Roku smiled and patted his brow. Aang cringed, preparing for the blow. It did not come. Roku's hand smoothly passed over his arrow, no pain exploding off the gnarled skin.

"But how am I here?" His ignorance was greater than his curiosity. Aang's head dipped in shame and Roku drew him up.

_You were saved._

Aang met the harrowing black eyes and stared within. There was no meaning to be grasped beneath the surface, only his reflection.

"Who saved me?" he asked. He gazed at his arms and chest, unscarred. In fact, the flesh was tanner and softer than it ever had.

Roku turned and began walking for somewhere in the Spirit Realm. Aang did not follow. _Find the answer, _he replied shortly, and everything went black.

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She was asleep when he first woke, stirring in the bedchamber of his friend's palace. Silver light spilled in from the window just past her, her brown hair flowing gracefully on her cheeks. Spots of golden dust dotted her nose and lips, her marriage sun glinting in its grand mother's protection.

She was beautiful, but more importantly, she was alive.

Aang threw back the covers and leapt to his feet, tearing over the level ground as if were not there. She was jolted awake by the sudden scurrying, and met instantly by his embrace and the warm sensation of his mouth to hers.

They stood there, frozen in place, in time and in place, their love encasing them in a mold that could never be broken. Aang wouldn't let go of her ever again. She was too precious to ever let anyone hurt her, too amazing for anyone else to behold. It didn't matter to him that he had no idea why he felt such strong emotions. Being on the brink of death had reminded him he didn't need a reason to feel the love he did for her.

"Thank you," he said as they broke apart and she smiled.

His legs shook under him, the muscles shot from lack of sleep and injuries. He sat back on the bed and let out the breath he'd been holding in for too many moments.

"I healed you as best I could," Katara told him. She motioned for him to give her his arm and he did, watching her while she examined the deep cuts and bruises. "We decided the best thing was for you to rest."

His ears perked. "We?"

She nodded and opened the door beside her. Aang looked out to see a bed of raised rock floating from the floor. Black hair rolled down the side as the sleeper dozed, the green cloth of her leggings barely covering her dirty bare feet.

He went to her without thinking and nudged her arm gently. She twisted and looked at him with clouded eyes; her heels scraped the stone. "Glad to see you're finally up, Twinkle Toes."

Toph yawned and walked into the room. She greeted Katara as she stretched out on their bed, making herself comfortable. Aang followed her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He didn't know if he wanted the answer. Toph always seemed to show up in the most unexpected places, for reasons that made no sense except to her. Her rude but effective attitude made for an interesting world, but Zuko's home was the last he'd ever imagine her to be.

"I had this really weird dream a couple of days ago. I was in a foggy room, and a voice kept talking about Zuko and something called a Soulless. I kept having it, and it finally said that you were in trouble. So, I came here."

She shrugged and groped blindly on the bedside table next to her. Katara pushed the cup of water to her. "Thanks." She sucked down half of it, while Aang waited in silent anticipation. He glanced at his wife, who gave him a look that said quietly, _I'll explain more later. _It was just as well; he would never understand it no matter who explained.

"So, anyways," Toph continued, wiping her mouth, "it took me forever to get directions to this stupid island. I didn't even want to come here. I-"

"Why don't you let me tell him, Toph?" Katara placed a gentle hand on the earthbender's shoulder. "Whatever." Toph replied to the wall. Then she settled into the covers and fell back into what looked suspiciously like sleep.

She ran her fingers through her long brown hair and rubbed her nose, as if she didn't know where to begin. It must have been a difficult story to tell, he realized. He had been the center of it, and there were a thousand details he could not even begin to remember.

"I don't know exactly when it started. I'd begun having them a couple of months ago, but like Toph, I ignored them."

Her words confused him. "Ignored what?"

"The dreams. They were rare at first, far and few between. And every time it was the same- a dark, moonless night, an empty space beside me in the bed. A room I didn't know, and a hallway I had never seen. When I found the courage to open the last door, I saw you lying dead on the ground, and an enormous snake wrapped around you. Everytime I would be trapped outside, watching you die time and time again."

Silver tears pooled in her eyes and he hugged her to him. He knew how hard it was to see the one you loved hurt. You would rather go through the pain than allow it to happen to them. But they were both hurting, inside where feelings ran deep, and there was nothing either could do to stop the other's.

Into his neck, she whispered, "When I woke last night, and it was exactly like the dream, I panicked. I ran into the grounds and found Toph wandering in the gardens. She said she'd had the same dream and had come from Ba Sing Se to check up on you."

She sniffed softly and Toph grunted in her sleep. "We didn't know where to start looking. But we knew that you were in trouble. It could be felt in the air, the tension and fear. Zuko was the only one that could find you, being it's his home. We caught him in the library. He and Sokka were looking too. The five of us- we're connected somehow, in one way or another. And we knew we had to get to you before it happened."

He had never felt so right about anything in his life. Since the day they had met, their spirits and destinies were intertwined. If one died, it was like they all passed on.

"But what about the Soulless?" Aang asked her. He wouldn't be able to let go until he knew the whole story, from start to finish.

She shivered violently, but managed to hold herself somehow. "You were almost dead when we came, that demon hovering over you, ready to kill you." Her head pulled up and she met his eyes. "It was amazing, Aang. I knew exactly what to do, as if there was a voice inside of me, telling me my every move. Toph bended the rocks of you, and Zuko and my brother grabbed Kiye. I ran to you. Your chest had nearly collapsed and there was blood everywhere."

Katara gave in to the struggle and let herself fall into him. She was too tired, too blessedly exhausted from protecting him. He kissed her forehead and laid her on the bed next to Toph. "Thank you," he told her again and shut the door.

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Sokka was waiting for him when he came to Zuko's large apartments. He leaned against the maroon wall on a chair that squeaked and rocked as he tried not to fall. He tipped his boomerang to him when Aang stopped beside him. He tilted on the wall as well and sighed, drumming his fingertips on his cheek. Neither said a word.

"Zuko in there?"

"Nope." The warrior said, simple as his tongue was sharp.

"So why're you guarding it?"

"Who ways I'm guarding it?"

"Who says you're not?"

Sokka raised an eyebrow at him. "Good point."

The chair legs hit the floor like an earthquake and they listened to the echo ricochet down the corridor. Aang wondered why he wasn't with Yue, wherever their room was in the enormous palace. "Kiye."

The Avatar looked at him. "What?"

"Said I'm guarding Kiye. Can't have her coming out to get you again."

There was kindness in the way he said it, though sarcasm hid it well. The chair tilted back and jerked on the stone, sliding to a halt.

He had to go in there, he knew. He wouldn't let himself rest until he was sure that the Soulless was gone. He had a feeling in him, somehow, that it had been dissolved into the stars when the ones he loved the most rescued him from Fate.

"I'm going in." It wasn't a question and it wasn't a command. It was a statement, calm and gentle, as Aang's hand rested on the handle. The boomerang tip hit the metal. "No. I can't let you do that."

"I'm going in." he repeated, and pushed open the wooden door. Sokka started to grab for him but Aang was faster and slipped inside. Through a crack between the wood, the Avatar told him, "Don't follow me. Listen if you want to, but I'm going in here. There's no point in trying to stop me."

Maybe it was the tone in his voice. Maybe it was the connection in their eyes that made Sokka pause and return to the chair. Whatever the reason, the warrior did and Aang was not forced to snatch something to block the door. "Okay. Shout if you need me."

Somewhere in him, Aang knew he wouldn't need his friend. It was the feeling the room gave off, the aura it created that said to him it was all right. Soft as hummingbird wings, he crossed the large room and went to Kiye's side.

A fallen angel. She reminded him of a fallen angel, lying so small and helpless beneath the dark covers. Her ivory features were even paler as she dreamt, breathing almost without sound. Aang sank to his knees and neared her. He watched her chest rise and fall quickly, wondering how something so innocent could have brought a Soulless.

She was nothing to fear. He could feel it, just looking at her. The Soulless was gone, and Kiye was left. He could only hope that in releasing the Soulless she had released her hate as well.

"You're going to be fine," the Avatar told the lady, hoping within to still the troubled dreams. He got to his feet quietly and was almost to the door when she stirred behind him, groaning as though she were in pain. Aang stopped and looked back, wondering suddenly if he should call for Sokka.

Then she murmured something. Lifted her head and said it to him, as if she were awake and not asleep. Aang crept towards her, striving to hear.

"….Avatar."

He came to the bedside again and leaned to her ear, watching every movement she made. "What?" His voice could barely be heard, even by him.

"It will find you, Avatar."

The eyes flickered open. They were black as death.

**Ohhhhh….who's done? I am! Finally! Ok, now please, please, _please_** **review. I love your comments. **


	10. Chapter 10 Attention Few Loyal Followers

Heads up! The sequel to this fanfiction, _Memoirs of an Avatar, _has begun.

_When Forever Began. _

Now kindly go and read, thank you.


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